Iowa professor to protest pink visiting locker rooms

Posted by Kevin McGuire on August 28, 2014, 5:05 PM EST

The Iowa Hawkeyes have had a long-standing tradition of having the visiting locker room painted pink. It was a brain game move by former head coach Hayden Fry in 1979 and has remained a part of attempting to give Iowa a home field advantage. A professor at Iowa is planning a formal protest against the pink locker room at the same time the school plans to honor Fry on Friday.

Kembrew McLeod is organizing a “million robot march” to protest what he believes demonstrates the university allowing the football program to taunt an opponent by pushing homophobia and sexism. It has been suggested the pink finish in the locker room is designed to break down the visiting team’s mental toughness. Whether it works or not is probably uncertain for sure, but there must be something to having the pink finish all these years. This is hardly the first time a concern about the pink locker rooms has surfaced at Iowa though. the gimmick has been criticized by a number of feminists, lawyers, gay rights activists and more over the years, and there will likely be more to come in the future as long as the locker room remains pink.

McLeod tells the Associated Press he and his fellow protesters will dress as robots and shout “Binary code yes! Gender binaries no!” as they address their concerns on Friday.

Iowa has no plans to redo the visiting locker room at Kinnick Stadium.

“To tear that apart and spend the money right now to redo that just seems like a very low priority to me,” University of Iowa president Sally Mason said. “Would a pink locker room have been my first choice? Probably not. But that predates me by quite a little bit.”

Maybe he should program his million robots to do something that will bring in enough money to refurbish the locker rooms.

I suggest rainbow colors. This guy and his friends can consider it an affirmation of gay rights, and be happy. The football coaches will think “rainbow” sends the same message as pink did, and be happy.

Everybody wins!

mogogo1 says:Aug 28, 2014 5:26 PM

The professor should extend his protest to police stations, as many of them paint their drunk tanks pink, as well. It has nothing to do with homophobia or sexism. Studies have shown that pink is a calming color and having the opposition potentially be a bit more passive than normal is what Iowa is hoping for. Doubtful an hour or two in a locker room can have any effect, but that’s where the idea is coming from. That a professor would be clueless about that is pretty scary.

Protests like this are 100% designed to draw attention to the person/group leading the protest. This has nothing to do with bringing focus to feminism, it has to do with bringing focus to himself, and has succeeded.

Sure, this professor is a publicity-seeking cipher who’s primary motivation is self-aggrandizement, but give him credit for fearlessly tackling the truly important issues of today. Forget child abuse, world hunger, the Middle East situation–they are nothing compared to settling upon an agreeable shad of magenta for a men’s locker room in a football stadium.

The professor is an overpaid, knucklehead. And I’m a badger fan. I hope this idiot would focus on his educating students rather that wasting his time on something so stupid. Politically correct garbage, form a liberal buffoon. STFU NUTTY PROFESSOR.

dmvtransplant says:Aug 28, 2014 8:03 PM

Ms. Mason,

Don’t listen to people that tell you to change something that is a part of your teams tradition, even if it offends some of them.

Sincerely,

Dan Snyder

P.S. just don’t open a twitter account to ask people questions about the matter, it will always backfire on you

tigersfandan says:Aug 28, 2014 8:11 PM

A robot protest seems appropriate. After all, these people want everyone to yield to their agenda, just as if we were robots.

Couldn’t he just go on a reality tv show if he wanted people to know who he is? Stay out of the Football locker rooms Kembrew, adults are working here. Get busy working on that “pop quiz” for your classes that you love so much.

jjpmn says:Aug 28, 2014 9:28 PM

I misread the headline. I was going to join the protest because I couldn’t understand why colleges would allow the “singer” Pink to visit their locker rooms.

buckeye044 says:Aug 28, 2014 10:31 PM

Someone is craving attention. And of course, CFT complies.

kando53 says:Aug 28, 2014 10:37 PM

Sure, the attempt to intimidate opponents via a pink color scheme is probably very outdated, but a current serious protest is absurd.

I think I may have been too hard on the guy. After all, anyone who can get married to his (female) bride, by Elvis; can’t be all bad.

abninf says:Aug 31, 2014 9:14 AM

I want to know what Obama, Pelosi and Reid think. I expect Eric Holder to get involved.

abninf says:Aug 31, 2014 9:20 AM

Science will never unlock the mysteries of the liberal mind.

outlawjerseywhales says:Aug 31, 2014 6:09 PM

So the color pink defines homophobia and sexism?
Thanks, Kembrew, for enlightening me, my Mom, brothers and sisters.
Now we know that my Pop was a homophobe and sexist.
He just recently died at 89. He was a retired USAAC/USAF officer and pilot and had for years in his retirement sported dark slacks, socks and loafers with solid PINK golf shirts most every day. Looked pretty damn sharp in them too! 35-10 and all squared away.
I don’t know anybody that ever challenged his sartorial choices. As big a sweetheart as he was, just looking at him would lead you to believe you didn’t want to mess with Buz! At ANY age. Much more fun to hit the pub, have a beer or three, some chow, talk, laugh and play liars poker!
I can hear what the ‘ol bastard would say to you, Kembrew. Nothing. He wouldn’t waste his time over something so idiotic.

I miss those homophobic, sexist shirts!

don444 says:Sep 1, 2014 6:09 AM

A fairly stupid idea from the beginning that’s clearly out of place in today’s society (much has changed since 1979), but it’s likely not going anywhere in the foreseeable future as it hides under the auspice of tradition.

noaxetogrind says:Sep 2, 2014 4:10 PM

@don444,”
“much has changed since 1979″, you are a freaking genius with that master of the obvious statement. However, the psychological component of research which the 1979 decision was based on has actually not changed. Behavioral scientist in 2014 still say that pink is a calming color. You have every right to not believe in behavioral psychology, just don’t act like the original basis for the color is now outdated because nothing has changed in that regard.